It is known for motor vehicles to allow a user to fold some of the seats to increase the space available for cargo. In particular, the rear seating of motor vehicles often comprises a backrest portion and a bottom portion, the backrest portion being pivotably mounted relative to the seat portion so that the seat can be moved continuously between a deployed configuration, in which a user can comfortably sit on the seat portion with their backs leaning against the backrest portion of the seat, and a folded configuration where the backrest portion is folded substantially contiguous with seat portions whereby the space available for cargo is increased. In the deployed configuration a large angle, typically an obtuse angle, is formed between the backrest portion and the seat portion, and in the folded configuration either an acute angle is formed between the backrest portion and the seat portion or the backrest portion is substantially parallel to the seat portion.
As the rear seating is moved between the deployed configuration and the folded configuration there is a possibility that the backrest portion will collide with front seating of the vehicle, so that the user is required to move the front seating to a position outside the range of motion of the rear seating before completing the movement of the rear seating, which is inconvenient and time consuming.
The present invention aims to at least partially mitigate the disadvantages described above.